


it's your uncle john

by genresavvy



Category: The Lone Ranger (2013)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-16
Updated: 2013-12-21
Packaged: 2018-01-04 19:00:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1084578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genresavvy/pseuds/genresavvy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But, no, he's better than that. He doesn't have to be caught up in the past, and he doesn't have to make things awkward. The last thing he wants to do, after all, is be the uncle who's been maybe mentioned once or twice and who keeps staring at Rebecca to her son.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

On the way back to Colby, John spends a lot of time thinking about how he's going to handle it -- both seeing Rebecca and his brother for the first time in something like nine years,  meeting their son for the first time. . .ever, and living back in his hometown with Dan and Rebecca and their son. 

God, the more he thinks about it, the more he's keenly aware of the uncomfortable situations he's setting himself up for. Why was he so set on going back to his hometown, especially since everyone in town will likely still remember him as the guy who's brother married the girl he loved? He can just imagine how much people have whispered about him ever since news came that he was living in Colby again, and he just knows the whispers and rumors are only going to get worse when he gets there.

But, no, he's better than that. He doesn't have to be caught up in the past, and he doesn't have to make things awkward. The last thing he wants to do, after all, is be the uncle who's been maybe mentioned once or twice and who keeps staring at Rebecca to her son. He's gonna be a good uncle, and he's going to put aside the awkwardness that he's felt ever since the day Dan proposed to Rebecca.

(Of course then he glances down at the photo of her he has carried with him for the past ten years, and he knows that this plan is going to be much more difficult than he thinks.)

* * *

“God, look at you.” She murmurs, tracing his cheek with her thumb, “City boy. Why would you ever wanna come back here?”

“It’s my home.” John answers simply, swallowing as he wonders how he always ends up here, reminding himself that she’s not just married, but she’s married to his brother.

She's looking up at him, and her thumb is still tracing along his cheek, and it suddenly occurs to him that they are standing much closer than he realized they were, and the last time they stood this close was days after he was told they were engaged and they went on a walk and nearly kissed and he knew then that he had to get out of Colby, away from her before he made a mess out of things and maybe coming back wasn't such a good idea --

The door opens and he moves away from her as fast as he can, turning around to see a young boy with a striking resemblance to Dan when he was his age standing at the door, looking very confused.

"Who are you?"

As Rebecca explains who he is, John looks at the young boy's face, and inwardly kicks himself for managing to ruin his plans to keep from making things awkward within five minutes of seeing her again.

He recovers as best as he can, remarking about the resemblance, but he knows in his heart that the damage is done, and that he was far too optimistic when he thought this would be anything but uncomfortable.


	2. Chapter 2

The way back home is long. 

The fact that he's dragging along the man who not only murdered his brother, but cut out his heart and ate it in front of him. . .doesn't exactly help matters.

At first, Butch Cavendish tried to get on his nerves, tried to get him angry, to get him to mess up and give him the opportunity to escape somehow. He starts to recall the events of Dan's death, and John catches himself nearly falling for it the first time. Instead of letting his anger take over, he grits his teeth, and yanks hard on the rope he's tied around Cavendish's hands.

He can't help but to smirk a little when he hears him fall down, and it makes a difficult journey easier.

Despite that, though, he's relieved when he finally gets back, when he brings Cavendish to the right people to get him to the authorities. Cole smiles and thanks him and comments on how hungry he looks, and when he offers dinner for him, John feels extremely grateful. 

When he places the silver on the table, there's a look in Cole's eye that makes him feel a bit nervous, but he's read about this man, about how trustworthy and honorable and intelligent he is, so he pushes that out of his mind.

Then he starts talking about Dan, and the pieces start to pull together in his mind as he glances at the map on the wall, and Cole's pocket watch -- and suddenly it all makes too much sense.

* * *

Cole at gunpoint, he forces him out of the train car they were in. He doesn't know exactly what he's going to do, he just knows that he has to do something, and he hopes the right choice will make itself clear. 

They walk into the next car, and just as he starts to realize they just moved someone out of the way by entering, he also realizes that he's looking right at Danny -- Rebecca and Dan's son -- who's holding a gun.

"Danny?" Is all that he manages.

The boy looks at his badge, and then at him, a look of disappointment on his face, "You're not my daddy."

"No. Put the gun down, son."

He sees the next question coming, but it still hits him like a punch in the stomach when Danny asks it.

"Where's my daddy?"

Before he can even begin to form a response, Cole is already starting to talk.

"He's dead, Danny." The older man glances at John, and adds simply, "He killed him."

"Shut up." He spits, before turning to face Danny, "Listen to me, Danny -- you remember me, it's your Uncle John!"

The moment the words leave his mouth, he remembers the first time he saw Danny, how it came on the tails of him seeing Rebecca for the first time in nearly ten years. He remembers the distrust in Danny's eyes, and he realizes that it's gotten worse. He's not just the uncle Danny has never met who was standing uncomfortably close to his mother anymore.

He's the uncle who survived when his father didn't.


End file.
